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Luca Milano / AFP - Getty Images
Costa Concordia pictured Saturday after the cruise ship with more than 4,000 people on board ran aground and keeled over off the Isola del Giglio, an Italian island Friday.
Updated at 8:05 a.m. ET: NBC News reports that 129 Americans were on board the cruise ship. Three bodies have been found and rescuers are still searching the sea after it ran aground.
Updated at 8:03 a.m. ET: Some 69 people are still missing after the cruise ship Costa Concordia ran aground off the Italian coast then tipped over in the sea, according to news reports.
Updated at 6:50 a.m. ET: Specialist diving teams are being brought in to search the interior of the cruise ship Costa Concordia after it ran aground off the Italian coast, fire services spokesman Luca Cari says. So far three bodies have been recovered; Cari warns, "We don't rule out the possibility that more people will be lost," amid reports of six or eight deaths.
Updated at 4:30 a.m. ET: "It was so unorganized," passenger Melissa Goduti, 28, of Wallingford, Connecticut, tells The Associated Press of the chaos after a cruise liner ran aground off Italy, leading to the deaths of at least six people. "We had joked what if something had happened today," Goduti, who had just joined the cruise ship, says.
Updated at 3:15 a.m. ET: Sky News shows a picture of the Costa Concordia on its side in the water after the cruise ship ran aground off the Italian coast Friday night. The picture, by Giglio News, can be seen here.
Published at 12:30 a.m. ET: A cruise ship with 4,200 people on board ran aground and ripped a 165-foot gash in its hull off the Tuscan island of Giglio on Friday night, and local officials reported that at least six people died. Some on the island said eight were dead.
At least three bodies were recovered from the sea, the Italian coast guard reported.
Helicopters were working to pluck to safety some 50 people still trapped aboard the badly listing Costa Concordia on Saturday, said Coast Guard Cmdr. Francesco Paolillo.
Stringer/Italy / Reuters
Passengers arrive at Porto Santo Stefano after a cruise ship ran aground off the west coast of Italy.
Some people were thrown into the sea when the Costa Concordia started listing, others jumped to evacuate the ship, officials said.
The ship, which reportedly cost more than $680 million, was three-quarters under water and sinking fast, a Giglio hotel clerk told NBC News on Saturday.
The Telegraph of London said some passengers jumped from the steeply listing ship and swam a short distance to the island. A photo showed the brightly lit ship teetering just outside a harbor wall.
One official said that among the dead was a man around age 65, who might have been ill or who might not have withstood the cold of the sea at night, Il Messagero said.
The 950-foot Costa Concordia had left the port of Savona at 7 p.m. local time and was sailing to Civitavecchia, its first port of call, when it ran aground around 9 p.m.
A rocky reef
Costa Cruises said 3,200 passengers were aboard, along with 1,023 crew members. Coast Guard Officials said the liner was listing at 20 degrees but was not in danger of sinking.
Paolillo, the coast guard official, speaking from the port captain's office in the Tuscan port of Livorno, said the vessel "hit an obstacle" -- it wasn't clear if it might have hit a rocky reef in the waters off Giglio -- "ripping a gash 50 meters (165 feet) across" on the left side of the ship, and started taking on water.
The cruise liner's captain, Paolillo said, then tried to steer his ship toward shallow waters, near Giglio's small port, to make evacuation by lifeboat easier. But after the ship started listing badly onto its right side, lifeboat evacuation was no longer feasible, Paolillo said.
By 1:20 a.m. Saturday the evacuation of passengers and crew had been virtually completed. But Il Messaggero said about 200 remained on board and would have to be airlifted out by helicopters. The ship's worsening position was making it difficult to complete the evacuation, officials said.
Town officials were trying to find places for the evacuees to spend the night.
Stringer/Italy / Reuters
Passengers arrive at Porto Santo Stefano after a cruise ship ran aground off the west coast of Italy at Giglio island Friday.
A clerk at the Bahamas hotel told NBC News that 1,000 people were sheltering there. A crew member at the hotel told the clerk he heard two loud noises and the ship started leaning to one side almost immediately.
Some passengers panicked as some jumped into the cold sea to swim ashore, the clerk said.
'Very strange'
The first evacuated passengers were taken to a church for shelter on the tiny island. The church pastor told Il Messagero that women in suits and highheels were camped out in pews with frightened children. Other passsengers were taken to schools and hotels on the island, said Italian news agency ANSA.
Sky News quoted passenger Luciano Castro as telling Italian media: ''We were having dinner when all of a sudden the lights went out. It seemed as if the ship struck something and then we heard a loud bang and everything fell to the floor.
''The captain immediately came on the tannoy and said that there had been an electrical fault but it seemed very strange as the ship almost immediately began to list to one side. The glasses just slid off the table."
"It was like a scene from the Titanic," another passenger aboard, journalist Mara Parmegiani, told ANSA.
One woman also told The Telegraph: "It was just like something out of the Titanic. You could tell straight away that the ship had hit something and no way was it an electrical fault."
Passengers were first asked to put on life jackets as a precaution, witnesses said, but it soon became clear the situation was more serious when the abandon-ship signal was sounded, ANSA said.
The Costa Concordia, according to a Costa Cruises statement obtained by NBC News, was sailing across the Mediterranean Sea, starting from Civitavecchia with scheduled calls to Savona, Marseille, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Cagliari and Palermo. About 1,000 passengers of Italian nationality were aboard, as well as more than 500 Germans, about 160 French and about 1,000 crew members.
The company said it would cooperate with authorities to determine what caused the emergency.
This article includes reporting from NBC'sClaudio Lavanga in Italy, msnbc.com's Jim Gold and Alex Johnson, The Associated Press and Reuters.
More from msnbc.com and NBC News:
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How does that happen with all the gadgets they have today to prevent such a thing. Drunk Captain?? Sure hope the people come out OK. Two deaths.Such ashame!
Drunk captain, drunk harbor pilot, inaccurate chart, lousy shiphandling. Several possible reasons for something like this to happen.
Apparently someone forgot to replace the lighthouse's light bulb.
You could not PAY me to get on a cruise ship.
An elecrical fault does not knock your dinner off the table!
But the GPS told me to turn here!
The ship not in danger to sinking. how can a ship sink if it is aground?
Recalculating!
Ignorant, careless crew most likely the cause.
Recalculating.
Recalculating.
Turn left in 100 meters. Err, make that turn right in 100 meters..... Recalculating.
A very bad attempt remake of the titanic.
Someone is going to be out of a job, and real soon.
RIP to those that didn't survive.
I'm afraid of cruise ships ever since seeing the Titanic. And those ships are just too doggone big. They're like floating mansions.
I' ve heard two versions so far. One is that the ship ran into a reef, another that it hit a sand bar, but the pic shows it right by a lighthouse which is on land, so I'd think the ship was probably near it's dock. WTF?? I'm with the other poster who said he couldn't be paid to be on a cruise ship. Me either!! Was the captain the same drunk ass who ran the ship Exxon Valdez or maybe the Titanic??? lol Either way, just lame with all the equipment on board to prevent this kinda stuff, now 6 or more ppl died because of stupidity
If you're going to run a ground you couldnt have picked a nicer place than the Tuscan coast. You can just take your settlement money that you are bound to get from the cruise line and retire in Tuscany. That would be perfect, no GMO's, no republicans, no rabid consumerism, just good wine and woman who look like Sophia Loren.
Chuck, I heard that this captain's last words before sounding the 'abandon ship' signal, were "Be Italian!"
My guess what happen is..the ship was to go between two lighthouses to dock inside the cove, but went outside the red lighthouse instead of between the red and green lighthouses. See pictures of these lighthouses at links below.
http://www.sailreporter.com/2011/07/03/giglio-island-sailing-holidays-in-tuscany/
http://www.planetware.com/picture/giglio-iasola-del-giglio-i-ir1695.htm
Christopher Columbus must be rolling over in his grave...
What are you talking about? Columbus was no better. He was lost. I see a pattern here.
It wasn't an iceberg that sank the Titanic; it was a perfect combination of arrogance and ignorance. That will be the case here as well. It always is. Ain't mankind grand.
Christopher Columbus thought he was in India. If he rolled over in his grave, he wouldn't be able to find it to get back in.
Those 8 people that jumped off the ship had to have had down syndrome. The ship had hit the ground! The Italians are now the new Pollocks. Ha Ha
They must be college educated liberals.
Condolences to the familes and friends of those lost.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
The whole lot of you don't know ANYTHING about what happened here. I am AMAZED at the number of idiots who want to chime in with their two cents about what must have happened when you know NOTHING. Shut up and try learning the facts. Morons.
Jesus H. Christ, Mary, Joseph, and Moses !! How could something like this happen in 2012 ?
The same way Iraq was invaded in 2003: some incompetents in positions of trust were criminally irresponsible.
The article currently says some people were thrown into the water, while others jumped as the ship began to sink and swam to the island. A coast guard official said the ship was listing 20 degrees but not in danger of sinking. A witness said it was about 75% under and sinking fast. The coast guard also said the evacuation was virtually completed, while the newspaper said 200 people were still on board and were waiting to be airlifted out by helicopter.
Of course, it also says there were 3200 passengers on board and 1023 crew -- 1000 Italian passengers, over 500 Germans. about 160 French and 1000 crew. Wonder who the rest of them were. Stowaways? Illegal immigrants?
That's the joy of reading MSNBC's articles. They're in such a rush to get them out that you can't believe anything they say. Might as well wait a few days to find out what happened.
Cruise Ships are safer than Commercial Airliners while flying in the sky.
Many of us do not know that Commercial Airliners have near misses in the air, and on the tarmac all the time. It is kept quiet. No one would fly if they knew every bitter detail.
Cruise ships are increasing as a way to travel the world because they are so safe. The stories that happen on a Cruise ship are not told either.
This is indeed a sad happening. It reminds me of the Titantic, without the Iceberg---
What other way of transportation can one take Overseas---no car, no bus, no train. That's it--Air or Sea.
Yes, the truth will come out. It could have been just what happens in the Cockpits of the Airliners. Laptop Computers, alcohol, mis guided computer systems, etc.
No one knows when their time is up---live for today. I believe in Fate---
''Of course, it also says there were 3200 passengers on board and 1023 crew -- 1000 Italian passengers, over 500 Germans. about 160 French and 1000 crew. Wonder who the rest of them were. Stowaways? Illegal immigrants?''
From that part of the world what ethnic group/s can you think of that just don't count?
Hawaii2
"Cruise Ships are safer than Commercial Airliners while flying in the sky."
I wouldn't think a flying cruise ship would be safe at all.
It's like the movie "Poseidon," where a giant cruise ship also gets knocked over. Unlike Titanic, it really rules out a lifeboat rescue. Scary.
Light house beacon replaced with energy saving light bulb.
common one, live life, protect people. iam sorry for the peoples lives lost
And the ship was co-captained by Moe Howard, Curly Howard and Larry Fine.
.....electrical fault huh....good one. Start lying to your passengers as soon as you can and maybe no one will notice that great big RIP down the side of the boat!
I think by the looks of this electrical fault, that we had better purchase our staterooms close to the top deck of the boat next time.
Thanks Mike277, those links were really helpful.
Reef berg straight ahead!!! Did the captain go down with the ship?
Ha! There are some humorous comments here:
Just Me at 226.26 says "...while others jumped as the ship began to sink and swam to the island." I've never seen a swimming ship.
Hawaii2 at 226.27 says "Cruise Ships are safer than Commercial Airliners while flying in the sky." I suppose that's true, particularly if the Cruise Ship is falling from the sky over water.
ok - so Newsvine has suddenly renumbered everything! My 226.26 reference is now 1.26, and 226.27 is now 1.27
what happens on a cruise ship stays on a cruise ship
Considering how my computer and other electronics work - I have no reason to doubt electrical failure.
My wife better buy those cruise tickets soon before the prices go up...we are cruising the week of 12-21-2012...going out in style...lol.
thing is, these ships are not like something you see in a old show like "Love Boat".it is possible for aan electronics malfunction to have an issue like this happen. All you need is 1 thing out of calibration, and you get the wrong message, what looks like deep water, isnt. However an immediate "list" to the ship is no electrical problem. even tho the ballasts are able to be auto controlled to prevent listing, a malfunction would have caused a gradual list because at that point, the ship doesnt know it is taking on water. A 165ft hole along the side, and it looks like another just back from the port bow. might have been from the intial hit, but the ship looks rather easy to get back up and going again as the last pic shows the holes exsposed, and in a position a good crew could get it up and going.
its also possible that thats what the capt was told by the bridge over coms. if it was almost immediatly he alerted passengers all was ok, he wasnt even close to the bridge.
Can't blame it on a iceberg...Sure would like the details,
The design of those ships is to pack as many people as they can on them, there not constructed for safety..
My condolences.
Wow. Whatta lousy thing to have happen on a vacation. Craptain Joe Hazelwood strikes AGAIN.
I guess I'm gonna have to learn how to swim before I go on a cruise ship. And I'll be the only passenger wearing a motorcycle helmet throughout the cruise. Even while eeting and sipping my Long Island Iced Teas in the bar.
I am pretty sure we'll find out alot about this cruise co. I have been on cruises. The staff from the very top to the bottom of the list were very professional.
@Just Me-1436687,
The 1000 Italians, 500 Germans, 160 French (you already mentioned the 1000 crew members); but here's the thing, all the nationalities ARE part of the 3200 passengers so eloquently pointed out by you. So there were no "stowaways" or "illegal immigrants" as you've speculated! :) I would be more concerned about the 200 people obviously left on that ship literally laying on ceilings! Some other ignoramus mentioned something about the eight who jumped ship, and referred to them as candidates for Down's Syndrome; well, if this 'reader' had any comprehension skills to apply to the article, they'd realize these people were safe and had only a short distance to swim! Now, an ignoramus number three complained about how so many could be lost or the rescue continued....well, the ship...duh...took on more water from being sliced 165 feet across its right side....and became buoyant once again....meaning it floated back into deeper waters. : )
Chuck-295246, It said the captain ran into a friend with a big REFER and then he ran the ship aground... Just wanted to clear that up for ya... Gotta take care of each other here... Anybody started trying to figure out how this is the fault of American politics or any of that other usual msnbc troller comment stuff?
Why would anyone want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane, why would anyone want to leave the securuty and good feeilng of solid ground. More than once I've nearly kissed the ground after making it to shore in bad weather----it's a hollow feeling riding the waves with no land in sight!
While I enjoy fishing from a small boat close to shore, I have never had the desire to be crammed into one of these floating potential disasters. I'm really quite amazed that there have not been other instances of tragedy associated with such especially with so many terrorists looking for something to do. The bad part is; if there's trouble, where do run?
Though I'm probably more likely to die by a lightning strike I'll take my chances on the firm, dry, ground!
My sympathy for those losing loved ones here!
The header from MSNBC's page: Getting there is half the fun, so the saying goes. Msnbc.com's travel team examines the issues of the day and, of course, the joy and hassle of traveling. Irony, anyone? Would this qualify as a hassle?
.
Devon; It's Bush's fault, lol.
Maddy:
Childish--funny yes, but it shows the meaness in a person picking on their sentence structure errors.
Don't you have something more important to do?
There are a lot of people on this board like you---arrogant.
I need an answer, --- If this large ship got ripped open on the left side, why did it capsize to the right? ---- Don’t they have water-tide compartments any more?
What I can think of is that “counter flooding” was done too much.
Anyone have an answer?
load bang? omg... and you people have degrees?
You know how MSNBC is. They just make up thier stories as they go never knowing what to say, how to say it, or why they say it. As far as spelling goes they will tell you that whatever is wrong is right and you are wrong just like the Democrats and P.Obama do.
@jeffrey - really? i think maybe you got the tin foil wrapped a little too tight around your wee head.
How embarrassing for these so-called "journalists". I keep offering my proof-reading services to MSNBC but for some reason they feel they don't need anything like that.
(Oh and Jeffrey, you spelled "their" incorrectly.) ;-)
It certainly didn't take long for the Obama haters to scurry out from under their rocks on this one! I'm surprised you didn't accuse Obama of being at the helm of the ship.
Take a look at an old newspaper. Spelling and grammar have never been news agencies' strong points. Whining and pointing out everyone elses's little flaws while insisting we have non of our own are the current generations' strong points.
Jeffrey - I get the impression you do not think too highly of msnbc's reporting and feel they are highly biased toward "Obama and the Democrats". Why would you continue to visit this news site. I would think you would chose to get your information from a more conservative source like Fox News. It just doesn't make sense for you to continue on this site feeling as strongly as you do about it.
Just what I was going to comment on. Just makes you wonder!
OH MY GOD!!! A typo!! Thank god you were here to catch it, Remus!
What would we do without you? If you hadn't caught that typo more people could've died!
(... tard)
I've noticed a deplorable lack of editing in the rush to get stories out "first."
I love it when the misspellings or writers errors overshadow the story.lol They are coming through load and clear.
You can add me to the group that thinks it is not too much to ask for a "news" organization to actually use correct spelling and grammar. The people who equate a 4th grade writing level to elitism are really whats wrong with America, not the other way around.
@jeffrey - WTF - take a deep breath....go get laid...relax...have glass of wine with some cheese...enjoy life...and read the funny papers once in awhile....
...hey sounds like fun ....think i will do that now ....hahahahahahaha
Spell-checks only catch MIS-spelled words, not wrong words. "Load" and "Loud" are both good words.
Are we having fun yet?
Hey Jabber, it's "what's" but who really gives a sh it?
Obama is just your own personal Satan, is he?
who cares about spelling . evryone knows what you mean
there is the problem it is RED RIGHT RETURNING They got the red light house on the wrong side.
We all have the devil in us.
What's your brand of "devil", Jeff? Mine is Deschutes Hop Henge IPA! : )
I didn't know that the Devil had different brands. I have been to Hell before.
jeff, you should have stayed in hell/FauxNoise.
Katheryn Brandy, But everyone loves the vine Kathy...The laughs, The lies, The drama, The arguments, The trolls & haters, Hardly any conversation stays on topic long and it matters not what that subject might be. It didn't take long for this one to turn from a cruise ship running aground in another country to American politics.. It always turns there so they can have their silly A$$ed arguments while the rest of us try to glean something about the tragic event out of all of it... Naw Jeff isn't going to leave because you tell him he should... You saying things to him excite him... and THAT is exactly why him and those like hime love it here. HUGS MSNBC
outside of petty bickering
... as to who is wearing a blindfold, and who isnt (because its always been the blind leading the blind), personally i think any person that follows a party line, vs a persons work record, ethics, and dependability to lead a nation in the right direction just for the sole sake of party race or gender is an idiot. 3/4 of the voters now have no clue why they are even voteing other than to get/keep who they want it in who from the looks for the past 20 yrs has looked more like punks with a bucket of whitewash and a brush to cover up the big circle jerk they have going on with our tax dollars. never mind that.....
A lot of times, MSNBC just has someone copy and paste an article that was written by another news source. If you find an error here, it was most likely from AP, or local news. Not tha MSNBC cant fix something like that before putting it live, for all to see, but shows the lack of quality for real news. Then when MSNBC does actually do its own journalisim its either not fit to be a sh!t ticket due to little to no actual information or digging into a subect might have been the equivalent to taking a layer of dust off if that.
WHY then do i return? Well this ISNT the only news site i read. But i do have to admit, you guys are the craziest! lmao. The best part would be is if the internet could be used as a lethal weapon. How many people here "taking a hardline stance as a KB commando" trying to fight for something<?> have actually taken a deep breath, let it out nice and slow.... if you take and vote for someone on an exterior basis, not on his/her abilities to do whats right, why do you even vote? and this is where it gets really interesting listning to most of your reasons of WHY you are defending the cause you are, on all sides.
I understand the historical importance of any man or woman being the President of the United States of America. No matter what race he or she is, to keep America a strong nation. People who get all upset about WallStreet, and ask why congress hasnt changed the rules? ARE YOU SERIOUS? Do you people have any clue to the number of millionaires in congress? No you dont, and I(!) am not giving bs links. if you cant look at something to prove an effort to discredit your cause you refuse to look.
People who are so against gun crime, i understand you might think banning or handing them out with the renewal of your State ID, both have valid, but more invalid points to reason with. There has been an amendment to the constitution if this nation becomes under such duress, the President can null the constitution, congress, and basically take full charge of this nation? This nation would be an immediate dictatorship? You do understand that right? what that means? That means the direction this country is headed, in realistic terms, not the ones you have been white washed to believe isnt too far from that point from where we sit now.
The government already has made clear, if you do not have a job, or adding credit to the system, you do not count. your credit to the system falls on if you have more little creditors to the sysem for future use, so they feed them well. Meantime if you are single, of course you are less important. Kids and women first you think it is? lol, keep thinking that as food gas and everything else get taxed more. Last i heard small buisness wasnt something as important as wallstreet buisness. Look who got the bailout tax incentives, big buisness. Research and Development? where is that even close to helping helping small buisness? Hire for over a year incentive? Kidding me right? Even a company the size of Super Steel cant keep its entire workforce going, they lay off, and those willing to wait it out get called back. THOSE WHO QUALIFY FOR UEB's do. The rest, and those who dont want to collect, look for a job elsewhere.
what i am wondering about, where did the homeless living in the tents and campers, makeshift living? Never did hear about those groups of people and their outcome. Are they still living as they are? Did they all of a sudden poof have a job, and a place to live? shelter agency? i know just how easily i could have fallen into that crack, and i was dam lucky, cause it came close quite a few times. Why is it we heard about these people, there situations, and then nothing... tens of thousands.
I think this nation and its people need to take 1 serious major step back, and rethink a few things. what maybe good for you in your eyes, is clouded by exterior admirations, just remember... someone can promise you all the free candy in the world, but you still have to share. That or you make $$ to buy your own candy, and still have to share. i think the number wanting to share, is getting smaller.
Moss - about that deep breath...
Leilanithe1 lol,,, yes " deep breaths and vexations " and Off topic.. lol
I feel very upset a mistake like this could have happened and that the people must of been petrified if they ever watch the Titanic movie or had relitives who parished in it.
My prayers go out to all involved in this horriffic accident. God has plain for all.
On November 15, 2011 My nephew was killed along with 3 other teenagers. There was two foreign exchange students walking in the middle of the road and my nephew and his girlfriend didn't see these to boys untill it was too late. The boys were waring dark clothes on a dark road and my nephew tried to avoid them but couldn't and his car hit an enbankment and went airborn through some trees and landed on its side then ingolfed into fames.
My point is you never can tell when you number is up. He was my neices only child and can not have anymore do to VHL. Everyone is having a hard time handling it. I am sure these people have loved ones that will not understand why, I will never see them again, We had an arguement the last time I seen him.
But Let me tell you they are no longer hurting and their demise is better than what the end of the world has instore for those who are around to see it.
I am soooo vverrryyyyyyy sorry for everyone who lost someone without warrning. It hurts and It feels like you won't get over it, but in time your heart will heel. God needed some heros and they where the ones to be called home first.
God Bless you all
I just hope everyboby are fine
Everybody is fine, except the dead ones.
I just got a text from Everyboby. He's doing perfectly ok.
I just hope everybody is fine ( grammar police ). ;)
LOL Ranman! You made my day
I knew this guy in Vietnam, Lt Everyboby. He didn't make it. When your time is up, your time is up.
(Ok, 80's movie line.. some of you will get it)
I think the sentiment of what Ken V. said was sadly overlooked by you. You made fun of someone offering condolences. It sure says more about his integrity than it does yours.
he was making fun of everybody... not ken...
Clam; those of us who lived through the 80's deny it ever existed....DISCO STILL SUX.
everybody is fine, everybody's fine
No, Ken said "hope everyBOBY are fine" So in other words, he's hoping everyone named Boby (maybe Bobby?) are fine. Which is good because a lot of people are in fact called Bobby. Or maybe he meant the English police officers, nicknamed "bobbies". Who knows.
But I am sorry for the loss of life and the people injured. And I hope whoever was at fault gets what is coming to them.
Sure, Remus. Everyone's fine. Except that you're illiterate and eight people lost their lives and more are still missing in cold waters at night.
People jumped into freezing waters after their ship lost power and listed, children are huddled in fear, families have loved ones missing in the waters....
So.... maybe you could just read the article and stfu for two seconds. Have some respect for the victims, schmuck.
Remus your just a retard. Sulking around saying Everybody's Fine you should just say I am a retard thinking about no one else and drink hieneken you just sound like Charlie Harper you dork!
You're?
Insanity abounds!
Great stuff. I don't read the articles, I just look at the pics and read the comments.
How do you run a cruise ship a ground with 4000 people aboard? DOH!!!! dumb @!$%#s.
You steer it blindfold!
Same way as you would if there was only 2 people on board
Same way as if there were 55Million gallons of oil on it. DOH!!!! Yeah, dumb @!$%#s alright.
Many times, huge ships coming into complicated ports are required to use harbor pilots. A small boat brings the pilot to the ship, and that local pilot brings the ship into port because they are familiar with the reefs, sandbars and other problems getting to the dock. There is a TV series about gigantic ships on the Science Channel. On one episode, the captain of this huge ship was about to hit the ceiling because the local pilot was a complete and total idiot and about to destroy his practically new vessel. He had to throw his weight around to talk them into letting him "drive" while the pilot just provided directions. I wonder if something crazy like that happened here.
From the costacruise website:
"ships designed to combine comfort, entertainment and pleasure in unmistakable Italian style."
Designed for comfort, entertainment, and pleasure - not for safety. And the "unmistakable Italian style" speaks for itself - pretty, but poorly engineered and haphazardly operated.
"As soon as you step onboard you will realise what an unforgettable experience your holiday at sea with Costa will be." ---- amen, fratello - unforgettable, indeed.
The crew was probably fixated on their smartphones.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has jumped on this story and announced they will insist all ships be fitted with on board breathalyzers to make certain no captain takes the helm after having happy hour with the guests.
Makes sense. Pilots have an 8 hour bottle-to-throttle minimum (even more restrictive in many airlines and the military, and some places like the UK have BAC limitations far less than that for driving). When you're in charge of machinery that complex and with that many lives at stake you can't afford to be inebriated.
Tell me how a big ship like that runs aground? Unless someone was asleep at the wheel. All the technology these days and this happens?
Too many smartphones.
Geez... There's a lighthouse right there! RIGHT THERE!
No sh@t, good observation!
That was my first thought when I saw the picture. Just the sheer "moth-to-the-flame" irony of a huge ship like that essentially running INTO THE LIGHTHOUSE. I can't even think of a suitable analogy... I thought of something like a 747 crashing into a control tower, but even that's inadequate. The whole point of the lighthouse is to keep ships AWAY from it. Completely bizarre.
That is exactly what I was thinking when I saw the picture.
If you ask me that was good driving he seen the light house and aimed right for it.
Noticed that too- you would have to aiming for it to hit a lighthouse dead on.
All these people saying there's a lighthouse right there...it's not a lighthouse. It's a buoy, those orange things that float in the water lol. Take a closer look at the picture before jumping to conclusions.
It is a lighthouse, I had to look again but it is a lighhouse I kinda think you need to look again (R u using a netbook? 10 inch screen?)
People can not walk on buoys. Take a closer look.
And you should familiarize yourself with what a lighthouse looks like before chastising anyone, Lisa. I'm not sure what photo on what story you're looking at, but the attached-to-the-harbor-wall structure that we're all referring to in the photo is absolutely a small lighthouse. Have you ever even seen a buoy before? They don't typically have little glass-enclosed lights with rails around them at the top, nor doors at their base. Lighthouses do.
www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4061067/Fears-for-Brits-on-stricken-cruise-ship-the-Costa-Concordia.html
Take a look at the last pic at the bottom, it's a lighthouse on the end of a breakwater....
Reminds me of the joke where two captains are arguing who's going to give right of way until one says he's a lighthouse keeper.
It's not a lighthouse, it's a runway. And by the way, that's not a ship, it's a 747. Look closer!
link to bigger copies of the picture. reslly big ship and really small light house.
For some reason the link is not working so i am going to post it with a space (after http: and before the // which will have to be removed sorry for the inconvience (hate new user status sure hope that is over soon).
http: //www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/13/v-gallery_detail_list/2588805/reports-cruise-ship-aground-off.html
My thoughts also,,
How do you explain that one?
"You did WHAT! You actually hit the rock that has the LIGHTHOUSE on it?"
Actually, whether it is a lighthouse or a buoy is a moot point. If you bothered to read the article instead of just looking at the picture, you would know that after the collision the captain sailed the ship into shallower waters to make evacuation easier. So where the ship is now is not where the accident happened.
Donkey, that passage in no way asserts the ship was sailed anywhere, certainly not for any appreciable distance. It says that the captain "tried to steer the ship toward shallow waters," but that the ship began listing badly. Attempting to point a ship in a general direction is not at all the same as actually sailing it there. You started out making a semi-valid point, but wound up inferring something that isn't remotely stated.
Don't you love the 24hr news cycle? Just wait - it will all come out.
i agree i wouldve said that oh look more charlie harpers!
Either there are a lot more cruise ships out there or the crews are getting awfully sloppy. From what I also here...there is a much lake of decorum...compared to a while back...
what's the captain thinkin?
He's thinking, "Better call Servepro... like it never even happened".
good.
people suck
Oooooo! Look at the pretty lights! ... BANG!!!
Very funny take on the situation. I had to laugh out very loud. Great sense of humour.
LOVL
It must be Obamas fault! he gets the blame for everything.
Why swim to shore - why jump out? That does not make any sense, as people could just stay in the ship and wait for help. Was the captain drunk?
and they do have life boats.....
It looks like the skipper or harbor pilot ran her right into a harbor wall. Either engineering didn't answer the telegraph quickly enough or somebody got creative reading a chart (or didn't read the chart at all). Either way, I hope the captain has juggling or pasta cooking skills because he's probably not going to be commanding any more ships.
I just hope that this was not a terrorist attack, using a leftover WWII (or equivalent) mine. Though looking at the picture, kind of reminds me of "Speed 2"
Yeah, how about not reminding us of that sh!t movie known as "Speed 2."
Yes, it was a terrorist attack using only two ingredients: gin and tonic.
Parks you are an idiot
This would've never happened on the "Love Boat" good grief.
NEVER go on a cruise on Friday the 13th!!
Unfortunately, it sounds like some folks panicked. The ship never did sink, but some folks were jumping off and trying to swim to shore. Of course, being told it was an electrical failure when it was obviously something else probably did not encourage folks to take their chances by remaining on board!
It's pretty obvious that some of the passengers panicked. A ship listing at 20 degrees is pretty frightening for those that aren't familiar with a list that pronounced. Most cruise ships are pretty stable at lists up to 30-35 degrees but to the passengers, a list of 10 degrees is pretty unsettling. That the ship ran aground at all is the most unsettling. Electronic aids to navigation (RADAR, GPS, etc.) should have been working properly but if the bridge crew was untrained or inattentive, then the best navigational aids are useless. And where were the lookouts? A good set of eyeballs on a clear night are almost as good as a radar at ranges up to 3-5 miles. All in all, this was an accident that shouldn't have happened.
The ship obviously got way too close to the bottom of the ocean. Too bad several people were killed, but there apparently was absolutely no reason to jump ship. Cruise liners don't easily sink when the water is less than 50 feet deep.
Yes, that was my point - why the hell would anyone jump off the ship. Seeing the pictures makes me think that maybe it is not being reported correctly, and that a few people "fell" off the ship and then had to swim ashore. I cant imagine anyone thinking it would be a good idea to jump off this ship.
Really? I have no problem imagining that.
With a few drinks under their belts, people might think it to be the most natural thing in the world to jump ship, even if the distance down to the water is over 80 feet as it appears to be even on the low side of the ship.
There you are, minding your own business standing at the rail. You've had a few already and are sampling yet another decent vino on a nice clear night. Then all of a sudden, the ship stops dead with the loudest crunch you've ever heard and felt, all the lights go out, then the ship starts to list. You don't know when or if the list is going to stop. If you've had a snootful and your judgment is impaired, you probably think that jumping overboard is a good idea (it isn't). If you're that close to land, there might be exposed rocks or other debris down there, any of which would ruin your perfect swan dive upon impact.
Has anyone considered that perhaps these people didn't jump off the ship? By the looks of that wall, it would have been a really violent jolt. I'm betting people were thrown overboard by the collision and that nobody jumped voluntarily. There might be even more casualties if that's the case.
if I am not mistaken, I read that the captain ordered "abandon ship". that could be the reason they jumped for it.
A passenger said they were having dinner when the lights went out. Guess everyone went to dinner and they forgot to leave someone to steer the ship. Dumb as# 's
mamma-mia!
Allot of people would blame Jimmy Carter.
Who do we blame for your inability to differentiate "allot" from "a lot"?
Jimmy Carter is always the reason
I blame the Icebergs who live down the street from me. They fancy themselves a nice, quiet Jewish family, but they're really troublemakers. They did this once before with some ship 95 or 100 years ago. I think it was called the Titanic or something like that. I can't remember, but I know it was them.
"An electrical fault"? These ships are incredibly sophisticated with the ability to practically pilot themselves - unless there was some very bizarre systems issue - someone did something very bad.
Whats the big deal ? Another country like our's that either has, or wants to get rid of "pesky" oversight by government and let the market police it's own destiny.
Did you get on the wrong comment page?
Apostrophe abuse!!
"Ours" and "its" -- no apostrophes required. And where you actually DID need one ("What's the big deal?"), you omitted it. Good grief.
Think goodness for the grammer and punctuation police. The sentance was completely undecipherable without the fine tuning. LOL
Not really the point, paramed. In a written medium, believe it or not, spelling, grammar, and punctuation DO actually count. If you can't get through a two- or three-sentence comment without littering it with a slew of errors, then most intelligent people will not take your comment seriously or lend it much credence. Sorry, but that's how writing works.
P.S. The word is "indecipherable," and honestly, the original comment actually kind of was -- it was seemingly irrelevant to the story it supposedly referenced, hence still working's comment about it.
I've seen so many comments made to people who have made spelling or grammatical errors tonight. I'm usually pretty good about my own spelling and punctuation, but should I make a mistake this evening and somebody catches and posts corrections to me that have little if anything to do with the conversation, I might be more than just a little inclined to tell that person to @!$%# Off. Hopefully I won't have to do that tonight.
HUH??
Rick, are you for real? The problem with the grammar is one thing but the spelling; well, lets just say that a spell-checker is not a hidden commodity on this news blog.
Does it matter to anyone what jonjojon means? Is it a misspelling of something else? Is it material to this or any other story? Do you see my point? Focus on the tragedy of this story and put all the other petty stuff away. It doesn't really matter beyond the fact that it clearly annoys you.